Toys

The battle against war toys on Wednesday moved to an auto wrecking company on East 92nd Street in Los Angeles, where thousands of play guns were crushed. The demolition, sponsored by the Los Angeles Alliance for Survival, was billed as a "teach love, not war" effort aimed at preaching that "war is not a game."

When Family Fun magazine decided to list the best new toys of the year, it empaneled a group of experts: 375 children ages 2 to 10. In a study conducted by a market research company, children in seven day care centers across the country were given three weeks to play with more than 200 toys. At the end of the period, the children were interviewed and made their selections.

BOOMER TOYS: There's talk of a recession-induced "back to basics" trend in toy purchases. The most obvious example: the rebirth of the Erector set, which can even produce a 7-foot Eiffel Tower. . . . The girder-and-bolts toy disappeared more than a decade ago when the American manufacturer went belly up and imitators failed to keep the Nintendo generation's interest. . . .

As I listen to all this talk about Wal-Mart and toys made in China, I did a little shopping on my own. I went to so-called high-end stores in my area and, as I went from label to label, it was like taking a world tour. We all look for bargains, and I am very happy to say that Wal-Mart and Target save me money. My car is truly an international car, but it was assembled in the U.S. So if you want to look for products made in America, feel free to do so, and pay what you want. But, please, leave my stores alone.

It's not only children's toys that come in pieces. Adults, too, get toys that must be assembled, like treadmills and Stairmasters. "Bikes come partly assembled, but usually you have to put the gears and brakes together," says Reggie Dameron, manager of Sportmart on Sepulveda. Fitness equipment comes with detailed instructions, he says, but that doesn't mean it is a breeze to put together. "To those of us who are mechanically inclined, they can be easy to assemble.

Tooooo cute for words! And typically Steven Spielberg, which means real heartwarming--and perfect for merchandising spinoffs. That's what we found in the script for "Batteries Not Included," the typically secret Spielberg pic (he exec produces) that Universal plans to have out this summer. A blend of things "E.T."

After a successful pilot program, McDonald's has pledged to distribute 15 million books in England over the next two years. In its Happy Meals. Instead of toys. As a book blog, of course, we're all for this kind of thing. Give books away! Equate them with toys! Maybe even convince kids that books are toys! But will the kids buy it? Their parents might. The Guardian reports , "Alistair Macrow, McDonald's vice president, said that feedback about its book giveaway pilot had been 'overwhelmingly positive,' and that 9 out of 10 parents wanted to see more book promotions from the fast-food chain.

Taco Bell is discontinuing its kids' meals and toys at U.S. restaurants beginning this month, the Irvine-based Mexican-style chain said Monday. The fast-food giant said it's the first in the industry to undertake the effort, which it said will be in effect nationwide by January. The company, which along with Pizza Hut and KFC is part of the Yum Brands Inc. family, said kids' meals and toys had an “insignificant impact on system sales.” Individual menu items on the kids' lineup, including the crunchy taco, the soft taco and the bean burrito, will now appear on the regular menu.

McDonald's Corp. can keep selling Happy Meals with toys to California children after a San Francisco judge threw out a proposed class-action lawsuit seeking to ban the practice in the state. The Center for Science in the Public Interest said it will discuss with its co-plaintiff - a California mother - whether to appeal. The group did not seek damages for its fellow plaintiff, though it alleged that she “suffered a monetary loss” because of McDonald's toy-marketing ways.